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Florida Homeless Woman Learning to Read Now Has a Place to Live

May 6, 2016

(ORLANDO, Fla.) — A Florida man who garnered much attention on social media after he began teaching a homeless woman how to read now reports that the woman is off the streets.

Greg Smith posted to Facebook on Tuesday that the woman who introduced herself as “Amy Jo” has “checked into her hotel today.”

Smith, 25, told ABC News that Amy Jo is living in a downtown Orlando, Florida, hotel room “until I can get something permanent.”

“I’ve got a number of people working on trying to find her a place where she can stay for the rest of her life,” he added. “Hopefully a place where she can live and work.”

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The sales account executive initially shared how he met Amy Jo last month in a now-viral Facebook post. He recalled that instead of asking for money, Amy Jo offered him polite greetings. It led to the two having lunch every Tuesday.

During one meal, Smith learned that Amy Jo was illiterate and offered to teach her how to read through books he borrowed from the library.

Smith said that after their weekly lunch date earlier this week, he had a surprise for Amy Jo.

“I said, ‘We’re gonna take a little walk’ since the hotel was three or four blocks away from the restaurant we were at,” he recalled.

Smith said when Amy Jo realized where they were headed, she gasped and began to cry.

Since checking in on Tuesday, Smith has stopped by Amy Jo’s hotel to drop off many donations he’s received to help her, including groceries, clothes and money.

Smith also said Amy Jo told him she took three showers. “She’s excited,” he added. “She said, ‘I’m so happy that we met’ and hugged me and said, ‘I love you.'”

Smith plans to continue checking in on her as he looks to establish a foundation in her honor to help other homeless people in his community. He also plans to set up a P.O. box later this week to better field donations pouring in.